


In the Silence of Snowfall

by JDaydreamer



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017), The Worst Witch - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 12:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16810510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDaydreamer/pseuds/JDaydreamer
Summary: Part of the 31 day winter challenge: First Snowfall  Hecate relives a memory of the first snowfall with Pippa.





	In the Silence of Snowfall

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Hicsqueak fic. I've been an active reader of all the wonderful stories this fandom has to offer and inspiration finally struck for me to write for this lovely couple at last.

Hecate is in the midst of teaching her last potions class of the day when she sees it - the first flurry of snowfall She’s not the only one to notice and when it becomes too much effort to reign in the class of fifth years, in a rare display of solidarity, she dismisses the class early amid shouts of excited squeals of delight and laughter.

She takes advantage of the quiet to clean up the mess the girls have left behind - setting cauldrons to wash and sweeping the floor. Her thoughts aren’t on the tasks at hand however when with another glance out the window she sees the snowfall become heavier. She knows it’s likely the grounds will be completely covered before nightfall and her mind transfers her to the first snowfall many years ago when she was just a student herself. She and Pippa hadn’t been much older than the girls of her last class. And it was only Pippa who could convince her to embrace the snowfall in a way that came so naturally the effervescent witch. Only she could convince her to leave the warmth and comfort of her bed for the freezing temperatures outdoors on that night so long ago.

_“It’s snowing, Hiccup!”_

_“Is that any reason to wake me?” Hecate grumbled, trying to turn over in bed, pulling the covers with her but was halted by Pippa’s hand on her shoulder shaking her further awake._

_“Come on, Hiccup, it’s snowing!” she repeated. “Let’s take a walk outside.”_

_“Pipsqueak, it’s after midnight on a school night.”_

_“So? It’ll be just the two of us.”_

_“Very well,” Hecate bemoaned though secretly pleased Pippa desired her company even at the unconventional hour._

_Once outside the two girls easily fell into step beside each other, their steps the only sound in the otherwise silent night. “It’s so quiet out here,” Pippa whispered. “Like a spell has been cast on the land, don’t you think so?”_

_“Mmm. It was quiet before you broke the spell with your chatter,” Hecate responded with a smirk that didn’t go unnoticed by her companion._

_“Oh you!” Pippa said, ducking down to gather a handful of snow, quickly shaping it into a ball, raising it in her hand with serious intent._

_Hecate raised a dark brow at her. “Careful, Pipsqueak. You shouldn’t start something you can’t finish,” she warned, a smile teasing at her lips._

_“Is that a challenge, Hiccup?” Pippa grinned._

_“It’s a promise.”_

_“In that case…” Pippa threw the snowball at her, laughing madly when Hecate sputtered snow from her mouth and quickly brushed snow from her eyes and nose._

_“This means war,” Hecate declared, launching a snowball of her own at her best friend. The silent night became filled with shrieks of laughter and mock outrage before the girls declared a truce. Hearts still racing they settled in step beside each other again, allowing the silence to envelope them once more._

_“Isn’t it so beautiful out here?” Pippa asked, turning her face upward to the night sky, laughing softly as snowflakes gently assaulted her, landing on her nose and eyelashes._

_Transfixed by the way snowflakes collected in golden hair, turning her dearest, her only friend into some celestial being, Hecate gasped in agreement. “Incredibly so.”_

_Pippa turned dark eyes on Hecate and let out a gasp of her own. “Oh Hecate, you look beautiful! The snowflakes have caught in your hair…they…they look like stars in the night sky.” She stepped forward then to reach her hand out to grasp the ends of Hecate’s dark hair, watching the snow melt at the touch of her warm fingertips. “You’re lovely, Hiccup,” she said quietly, brown eyes meeting brown until they both looked away._

_“Yes, well…” Hecate cleared her throat from the obstruction she suddenly felt lodged there. “You look lovely too, Pipsqueak. You look like you’re practically glowing from all the snow in your hair.”_

_And then Pippa was glowing, her smile bright and wide from the rare compliment bestowed on her from her reserved best friend. “Thank you so much for sharing this first snowfall with me, Hecate,” she said stepping closer to brush a kiss to Hecate’s cheek._

Hecate can still remember the way her cheek, so cold a moment before Pippa’s kiss became inflamed with the gentle press of soft lips in a blush that would surely have melted the snow around them had they not dashed back inside the academy just afterward. She shakes herself out of the memory and finishes putting her potions lab back in order with a wave of her hand.

Memories still haunt her as she walks through the castle grounds to make sure the girls are behaving the way young witches should, snow or no snow. She catches Dimity throwing a snowball at Mr. Rowan-Webb that results in him casting a spell in retaliation of a snowball the size of a pumpkin. His spell is true and the snowball crashes down upon Dimity’s head, knocking her off her feet into the snow in a peal of laughter. Even Hecate can’t help the smirk from her lips at seeing none other than the “Star of the Sky” land flat on her backside. Even Ada and Miss Bat are not immune to the first snowfall and can be found in the corner of the yard creating a snow witch complete with broomstick.

Seeing her pass, Dimity tries to coax her into the fray - even going so far as to lodge a snowball at Hecate but she only turns it into water before it touches her.

“Cheat!” Dimity yells after her. “Too afraid I’ll cream you in a real fight eh, Hardbroom? Alright, keep walking then.”

“I’m afraid you’re no match to my skill, Miss Drill and therefore not worth my effort,” Hecate replies.

“Oy! Those are fighting words! I’ll show you - come back here!” she yells throwing another snowball but Hecate transfers to her chambers before it ever hits its mark.

The last snowball fight - the only snowball fight Hecate participated in was with Pippa all those years ago. She has no intention - as well meaning has her coworkers may be - of entering into another one when that one had been so…perfect.

In a rare bout of nostalgia Hecate decides to place a mirror call to Pippa to find out if Pentangle’s is experiencing their first snowfall as well. Perhaps Pippa will even remember…no. That’s hardly important. She places the call waiting for Pippa to answer but she never does. Hecate works to tamp down the disappointment rising in her chest - reminding herself that Pippa is a busy headmistress with her own school to manage. She also knows Pippa. She’s no doubt enjoying the first snowfall with her own staff and students. There’s no reason to feel any disappointment. Pippa is doing what she should and this is not one of their scheduled nights for a mirror chat anyway.

Long after the girls of Cackle’s Academy have returned inside the castle, warming spells dispatched and dinner consumed, Hecate makes her evening rounds to make sure each girl is tucked safely behind bedroom doors for the night. She returns to her chambers finally to allow her a moment’s respite. She considers trying to mirror Pippa again because surely the staff of Pentangle’s must be settling for the night as well but decides against it. Sentimentality is not her style anyway.

She removes the pins from her hair, allowing her tight bun to unravel and dark tresses to cascade down her shoulders. She runs her fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp to relieve some of the tension there. She sighs at the touch, feeling some of the stress of the day subside. She gathers a book - one Pippa loaned her - and sits in her favorite chair at the fireplace. She draws a blanket over her legs, has the book opened and her cat, Morgana, purring at her feet but still she feels restless.

_“Come on, Hiccup! It’s snowing!”_ she can hear Pippa’s voice ring in her head. It’s a plea she can’t ignore, even when it’s nothing more than a memory. Before she’s quite aware she’s done it, Hecate uses her magic to wrap herself in a warm black cloak and then transfers to the grounds outside, far enough from the castle that its lights glow to offer a welcome beacon in the night.

She walks for long moments, embracing the comforting silence only a snowfall can bring, allowing it to envelope her. She stops eventually and just stands still, listening.

“It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?”

Hecate jolts at the sound against the silence and turns to find none other than Pippa Pentangle, slightly windswept, smiling brightly. At her. Despite what must have been a challenging flight, she looks resplendent in a cloak of bright pink (of course).

“Pippa,” Hecate expels. “You’re here?”

“I didn’t want to miss the first snowfall - with you,” she says somewhat shyly for her. “I hope I’m not intruding?”

“No. Never,” she forces herself to breathe and startles to see Pippa’s smile blossom wider at her words.

It takes Hecate a moment to realize Pippa is still holding her broom in her hand. “You flew in this weather, Pippa, you shouldn’t have,” Hecate admonishes quickly stepping in Pippa’s space, a hand raised to cup Pippa’s cheek, turning it from one side to another as if inspecting for injury, hardly aware of Pippa leaning into her touch.

“I’m fine, darling, truly,” Pippa smiles at her.

The endearment stuns Hecate and she pulls back as if scalded, suddenly realizing the intimacy of her touch. She’s hasn’t touched Pippa so familiarly since they were girls thirty years ago. She meets Pippa’s eyes intending to apologize but reels back when she sees Pippa’s eyes dim at her retraction.

“You could have been hurt in this storm,” Hecate says instead, banishing the broom to the closet in her chambers.

“You know I’m a good flyer - better than you even,” she raises her chin in defense. “Besides, I only flew until I felt comfortable enough to transfer to you. I used a locater spell to find you and I can’t deny that I’m surprised to find you out here, but pleased too,” and just like that, the smile is back in Pippa’s eyes. “I was afraid I’d have my work cut out for me to convince you take a walk with me to enjoy the first snowfall properly. But here you are,” she says dark eyes gleaming. “On a school night even.”

“Yes, well,” Hecate struggles for something to say - an explanation but only feels self-conscious. “It is the first snowfall and even I am not immune to its…significance.”

Pippa walks close enough to link her arm with Hecate’s. “Well, shall we then?”

“Yes,” Hecate agrees, pulling Pippa slightly closer to her side - for warmth - she’s ready to explain if Pippa questions her action. She doesn’t, seeming to revel in the closeness herself if the way she leans into Hecate’s side is anything to go by.

They remain silent for long minutes, their footsteps the only sound in the otherwise silent night.

“It’s so quiet out here - like a spell,” Pippa breathes. “I’d forgotten how quiet snowfall makes everything.”

“Well, nearly everything,” Hecate returns dryly with a pointed look and a smirk that doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Oh, you! Always teasing me. Don’t make me gather a snowball to throw at you. I’ll do it - you know I will.”

“Careful, Pipsqueak. You shouldn’t start something you can’t finish,” Hecate warns.

Pippa raises a brow, the words an echo to a long ago memory returning. “Is that a challenge, Hiccup?” she grins.

“A promise, Pipsqueak.”

Pippa is no longer the schoolgirl she was and uses her considerable magic to conjure a snowball, ready to throw it at Hecate only to be startled by a snowball hitting her square in the face. She splutters snow from her mouth and wipes it from her eyes and nose only to see Hecate, mere feet away from her, barely containing her laughter.

“Hecate. Hardbroom. I hope you realize this means war!” Pippa shouts at her.

Thirty years of separation fall away in the span of a moment as two grown women, respectable teachers and powerful witches the both of them, become the girls they were once more. Shouts of laughter and mock outrage echo in the silent night until both are too breathless to carry on.

The hood of Pippa’s cloak, dislodged in the midst of their snowball fight now reveals golden hair dotted with snowflakes. Her cheeks are rosy from the cold and exertion, and Hecate has never seen Pippa look lovelier than this moment.

“Thank you, Hiccup, I haven’t had a snowball fight like that in years. Not since you and I…that night…well, you know.”

Hecate does know. “You haven’t had one since? I thought surely you…I mean you’re so involved with your students, I would have figured you have done so with them.”

“I know it seems like I would and I’ve certainly been asked - and would have - but…I don’t know. It’s silly I guess, but it always seemed like something that belonged to us, if that makes sense? I didn’t want that to change,” she says softly.

Hecate feels her throat become thick with the emotion lodged there. “Nor I.”

Pippa smiles. “Well, it’s getting late. We should probably go inside now.”

“I could transfer us if you prefer?”

“No - please. I want to linger a little longer. Let’s walk back instead?”

“Very well.” Hecate can feel Pippa’s stare as they fall into step for the walk back and finally turns to meet brown eyes. “What is it?” she asks, a hand brushing away a strand of hair from her face. She knows she must look a sight after their impromptu snowball fight and the snow that continues to fall only serves to make her hair more unruly.

“It’s lovely,” Pippa sighs.

“The snow? Yes, I quite agree.”

“No. Yes. I mean, yes the snow is lovely. But your hair - _you,_ Hecate are far lovelier,” Pippa admits so quietly.

“Oh,” Hecate breathes at a loss what to say. Any breath she has to say anything more is stolen from her a moment later when Pippa steps forward to brush a kiss against her cheek, her lips lingering before she pulls away. Hecate startles at the gesture and meets Pippa’s bright eyes for some explanation and sees in their depths warmth, affection and love. So much love.

“Hecate,” she whispers, her lips trembling ever so slightly in a hesitant smile. “Is this…” but she doesn’t finish the thought, uncertainty now reflected in her eyes.

Hecate longs to soothe her. So she does.

She pulls Pippa back to her, her arms encircle her waist and then she kisses her. Slowly, tenderly, lovingly. So lovingly.

Pippa is breathless when they part, tears at the corners of her eyes. “Careful, Hecate. You shouldn’t start something you can’t finish,” she smiles softly.

“I promise you, Pippa, this is only the beginning.”


End file.
